The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1887-10-08
Written for THE HERALD.
GOD IN HISTORY.
BY GASKELL.
ARTICLE ".

rather than political power and rule o.
earthly grandeur. The Jews in theil
dreams and visionings of Messiah, al
ways clothed Him as an earthly
conqueror, before whose power al
others receded. raising them, the chosen
seed, the dominant power upon the
earth. The Christian sought not fol-
this-his hopes were OF an endless here
after of immortality and glory beyond
the grave. The stern, ferocious Jew
chatting in suppressed fury, under the
domination of the Roman, could never
understand the lowly humility that
showed no resentment at injuries and
was truthful under the deeper of Attic
tons. The Jew depended upon the arm
of flesh, the Christian upon the Iegener-
ating influence of the gospel of saliva
| ton.
The struggle between Christianity and
Paganism, when it did come, was Sc
we're, long protracted and bloody. The
cross of cruc.hXion, the fiery furnace
the caldron of boiling oil, the british
pgladiatorlal arena and Conflict of say
age wild beast and vet more savage
men, turned in tyranniC hate to destroy
the shrinking, trembling worshiper
OF divine master, were the prospects
and earthly rewards held out for The
contemplation of the faithful believers
IN the loWly Nazarepe, to 0aunt their
courage and arouse feelings of fear api
apostasy. But firm and abiding faith
in the divinity of the Messiannic mes.
sage, together with the fervent hope OF
ultimate safety, peace, happiness and
salvation in the next life, away
above and beyond the waves OF human
frailty and passion. kept alive the
fire of nspiration-and the holy zeal of
the disciples. Not alone in public but
likewise, from secret, lowly and bye
places, the principles of peace and
heavenly brotherhood were taught by
earnest, God-fearing men and women,
and from thence spread, with acceler-
ated speed, from land to land, from
nation to nation, and became firmly
rooted among men. The principles are
such they appealed to all, were adapted
TO all conditions, ages aud fortunes Of
men. They gave comfory to the Or
pressed, taught mercy and charity o
the powerful, resignation to the weak
and gOdlike patience under injury.
Throughout every step OF the introdue-
ton of Christianity among men, was
the hand of God seen. Faith and hope
and charity became the portion of the
true bell vers; and were shown in their
daily intercourse and teachings and all
their thoughts, and actions, ard
labors, centered in, and as far as
possible, or compatible with hum
man fallibi ity, in doing, the
known will OF God, seeking as reward
the nnal attainment OF Immortality.
II was only after numerous burnincs |
and bloody baptisms, hendish persecu
tons, inCarcerations and sutferings of |
divers and strange kinds, such prjnci- |
pies triumphed. But in this we no.
ABLY see the hand of God manifested. |
he had prepared the world for the |
coming of His Son. 1t needed the iron
iespOusm of the Roman world to quiet
lac jarring storms of human interest.
us very bitterness, or rather the small !!
eaven Of human government. me in
lgnlhcant claims II put forward for |
ecognlNon as an earthly power and !
nt1nence, protected the infancy of the
hurCh, and political storms, ambi-
ions, quSrrels> and revolutionary up.
ieaVals, passed it by unframed. The
mbitlons and evil feelings of men
'ere Justly made TO praise Him, and
rom amid turmoil, contention
nd worldly ambition spread tia
rlnclples of peace; and. after centuries
such struggles, prosecutions and OBJ
iunty, Constantine, following the
istlnct OF a dream. conquering under
he symbol OF the Cross. made Chris
anlty the religion of the state, and it
ecame dominant throughout the entire
oman world.
The conquests of Cyrus, an Alex
ader, or Of Il Cesar pale and grow in
gnificant before the spread of n gnspeI
peace. Such conquests are not near :
important for the welfare OF the
lman family, as is the advancement,
the arts OF peace. Yet, as we have
lown, even their conquests were ne {
ssary III the providence OF God IN 5
and to ra-knit the bombs nj ]
cps!y thus preparing the WAy for the
CT ii III of the message OF peace I
hist tie human family was broken {
, INTO almost innumerable tribes d
I'd natlonalities and peopies Il
ere were buc small opportunities
r the propagation of such peacefn,
!ncipies. Mankind reduced uooer
10 rule, formed into one homogeneous
hole III political affairs, difficulty nj II
tercommunication no longer existed II
Roman citizen could travel in safety u
Dm one end of the vast empire tn tbs +
hef-Roman law prevailed every = =
l"Ie-the rights OF citizenship were +
ore respected by rival nations than =
ose Of subject kings; and none bnt +
e most desperate of outlaws and ron p
rs dare think of defiance to legitimate .
thorlty, nor of resisting the yaoar;es
mandates. Paul. the nerse-
ted Christian. had gained the rights
Roman citizenship, and when plead -
, before King Agrippa. claimed hi. u
hts as such, superior TO his feaItv .s OIL
ew, ami Jewish ianatieism and II
tired had To give way to the w
'jesty of Roman law, and he was O.
It to Rome for trial. Had h,
been tried ny h slown countrymen a,
slr rage and bigotry would have II
orr his life away and he would nav h,
Tered death long years bef, 70 III
did. The Jews had. tdr RI
iiurles anticipated AID aaoeriv hi
X 1Sd orwtid 10 re pc u. a
&c OF an earthly prince. or h,-s-lan III
Lie house OF David. by whose noWnr W
under whose guidaure thew wers -, ar
lew their national independence. ana
I've more than their ancient eIori
~ were an intensely jealous peonIe
ehEt"uS people and a cruel neon, M
Ia fhaas al, ~